Google may be about to launch a new Google Assistant-powered 4K rival to the Amazon Fire TV Stick, in an effort to rival the Alexa-powered streaming dongle.
An Android TV device, which looks like it could be the rumoured Pixel Player, has taken a trip through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States.
Spied by Ausdroid (via Android Central), the HDMI dongle (pictured) features the Google ‘G’ logo and looks like a pear-shaped version of the existing Google Chromecast.
The FCC listing describes a “4K ATV Stick” with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.1. It has an Amilogic S905X processor with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage.
The Android 8.0 Oreo operating system is listed, complete with a new Android UI interface.
Related: Amazon Fire TV tips
Also pictured (below) is a voice remote packing the Google Assistant, meaning it’ll likely allow users to control their smart home equipment and leverage the power of Google Search on from their television sets.
We’d previously seen a new Nexus device mentioned in Android Q’s source code, suggesting that a new device was in development under the codename ‘Elfin’. It’s currently unclear whether Elfin is the same as this newly spotted device, although a source later told XDA-Developers that this was actually a Broadcom reference board.
If the Pixel Player arrives at Google I/O next month, or perhaps alongside the Pixel 3 smartphone launch this autumn, it would replace the recently-obsolete Nexus player.
It would make sense for Google to offer an Android TV-powered solution to sit alongside Chromecast.
Whereas Chromecast is geared more towards people who want to stream content from apps on their phones, Android TV offers standalone apps without the need for a secondary connected mobile device.
Amazon is leading the way in this department, while the Roku TV stick isn’t far behind. Can Google muscle in on the turf any finally make a success of Android TV?
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.